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Welcome to The Car Spy....This is where we will be posting cars for sale, latest updates, news, opinions, discussions or just about anything interesting related to cars. If you would like to contact us then call 01892 506970 or email sales@thecarspy.net

Finished in McLaren Heritage Orange with full Black Leather interior plus orange stitching, we have been asked by the current owner to find a buyer for this right-hand-drive, ‘one of only 50 made’ 2014 McLaren MP4-12C 50th Anniversary Coupe which has completed only 800 miles with one owner since new. As expected for an example with such low mileage the condition of the car is exemplary and still in ‘as new’ condition.

This Limited Edition 50th Anniversary McLaren comes with the following unique and comprehensive specification:

This very rare, desirable, limited edition McLaren MP4-12C 50th Anniversary Coupe comes with the balance of the manufacturer’s warranty plus a McLaren service history having just completed a service at McLaren Ascot. To find out more or to arrange a viewing please give The Car Spy a call on 01892 506970 or email sales@thecarspy.net

Finished in Designo Mystic White with Black Leather/Alcantara interior we have been asked by the current owner to find a buyer for an extremely rare right hand drive 2014 Mercedes Benz SLS AMG Black Series which has completed only 1000 miles with one owner since new. The excellent condition of the car is a given considering the extremely low miles completed to date and an ‘A’ service was carried out by MB Tonbridge in June of this year.

This SLS AMG Black Series comes with the following comprehensive specification:-

It is believed that only 15 right hand drive versions were ever made by AMG and this particular incredible-looking high-performance SLS AMG Black Series is NOW SOLD! so to find out more please give The Car Spy a call on 01892 506970 or email sales@thecarspy.net

Funny how two letters of the alphabet can mean so much in the car world. Take ‘GT’ for instance. Literally meaning ‘Grand Tourer’, ‘Gran Tourismo’ or ‘Grand Tourisme’ depending on your mother tongue. That pair from the 26 letters of the alphabet have been around since the beginning of time and certainly back in the 50’s and 60’s a ‘GT’ attached to the boot-lid of your car meant you were driving something very special, indeed highly potent. The problem was that by the 70’s every marketing department in every car mass-producer had cottoned-on to the sales potential of the GT moniker to the detriment of what it actually stood for. Too many mundane hatchbacks were eventually labelled ‘GT’ and so the glamour had gone from the badge.

‘RS’ on the other hand has been treated with a little more respect over the years. For much of its existence as a symbol of power it would seem that Ford had hijacked the ‘Rally Sport’ badge for its high-performance models and all of them deserved to wear the badge with pride. But Ford were not the first to the podium with RS because in 1967 Chevrolet released the Camaro RS, so there. Other manufacturers have trodden carefully with the Rally Sport badge including mainstream makers such as Renault with their rather excellent Clio RS and Audi with the RS4 and RS6.

But RS also stands for ‘Renn Sport’ in Germany which literally translated means ‘racing sport’ and if there was one manufacturer who stands proud and tall in the use of the RS badge it is Porsche. Dating back to its first application for the public in 1973 with the Carrera 2.7 RS the company has reserved these two letters for those road cars which have reached the peak of their development.

A 911 GT3 is a very potent car indeed. But add the RS badge and you have the very best that Porsche can produce which means that it is arguably the best car in the so-called GT3 sector.

The 911 GT3 RS kicked-off in 2003 with the 996-based version and it was an unashamedly hard-core version of the ‘normal’ GT3. The focus was on track-day handling with stiffened suspension and so the interest in 911 RS variants began. Today they have become amongst the most highly desirable and collectable of all 911’s.

And so we come to the 911 (997) GT3 RS that we are advertising on behalf of the current owner.

This GT3 RS is a 997 Gen 1 which means that it is fitted with the legendary ‘Mezger’ 3.6 litre flat-six powerplant that has its origins in the successful 962 and GT1 racing engines.

The car is right hand drive, has so far recorded only 6000 miles from new and has also undergone a recent major service and thorough inspection by Porsche Tonbridge to give the car a clean bill of health.

Finished in sought-after limited edition Pure Orange this GT3 RS is in superb condition, has never been raced or tracked and comes with a comprehensive specification as follows:-

Following the car’s inspection Porsche Tonbridge told us that it was one of the most original non-abused GT3 RS’s they had seen for a long time. High praise indeed and the car is unlikely to disappoint anybody looking for a particularly cared-for example.

Considering the very high premiums people are prepared to pay for a 991 GT3 RS these days this future collectable Porsche looks a very sound investment for the longer term.

Vinyl is making a comeback apparently. Yours truly thought it had never disappeared but LP sales are on the rise again and the reason, we are told, is that people have re-discovered the peculiar qualities of music recorded on a grooved, 12″ plastic disc as opposed to a shiny holographic Compact Disc or the overly-compressed MP3 format.

The sound of noise makes a difference and ‘heavy metal’ car manufacturers have known that for years. Lamborghini could never make a car that sang ballads. It is the Motorhead of the car world – raw, raucous and mental. A Lamborghini Lemmy would have been entirely appropriate. TVR was (and hopefully still will be) any thrash metal band you care to mention. Aston Martin (and Jaguar) has adopted a Led Zep Jimmy Page hammer-tone to its latest cars and Ferrari is the Iron Maiden of the same universe since they have been around for so long with their loud, extrovert cars.

When you buy a super-car slash hyper-car you expect it to be loud but when you fire it up you want it to hit you in the chest with an invisible fist that expels the air from your lungs. Literally breath-taking. Many cars can do that these days but back in 2009 Ferrari gave to the world the F430 Scuderia Spider 16M. At first sight it looked like a convertible Scuderia F430 but in reality it turned out to be a member of Judas Priest.

The bark from a 16M is addictive. It is visceral and it will make your ears bleed. Every drive in the car will involve a route that consists of a bunch of tunnels to search for the next fix. Just visit YouTube and type ‘Scuderia 16M’ into the search bar to get an idea of what makes the 16M special. The videos will give you an insight of what to expect from a 16M but you really need to be standing near or sitting in one to appreciate the car properly. It’s all about the noise.

Dinner-party fact: the car was called ’16M’ to commemorate Ferrari’s 16th victory in the Formula 1 Constructor’s World Championship in 2008.

The 4.3 litre V8 engine produces 510 PS (503 hp) and 470 Nm (350 lb·ft) torque at 5250 rpm so 60 mph comes up in a smidgen over 3 seconds and the 16M will max out just shy of 200 mph. The car has a fair share of carbon fibre so it is pretty lightweight and the chassis was stiffened to cope with the extra performance available to make it more track-focused. Lightened front and rear bumpers (compared to the 430 Scuderia) and unique 5-spoke forged wheels were produced for the 16M and helped to considerably reduce unsprung weight with larger front brakes and calipers added for extra stopping power. Enough said.

Other features include a race-tuned suspension, carbon-ceramic brakes, the ‘Superfast2’ automated manual transmission that enables shift changes in 60 milliseconds, LED up-shift markers in the steering wheel plus the now-familiar ‘manettino’ race-mode selector.

Only 499 vehicles in total were produced from early 2009 and all were sold to pre-selected clients. Only 37 were made in right hand drive form which means that if you live in the UK and you like your passenger seated to your left in your 16M you may wait some time before you see your preferred car of choice come on sale.

Which brings us neatly to the 2009 right hand drive example that is being offered on behalf of the current owner.

Finished in Rosso Corsa with Tessuto Nero Tipo Cordura interior this 16M has covered only 7500 miles since new and comes with a comprehensive service history. The most recent service and MOT was carried out by HR Owen Ferrari in October 2015.

It is hard to believe that the shape of the Continental has been with us for more than 12 years now and with the odd cosmetic tweak and engine upgrade it has managed to establish itself as the best selling Bentley by far. In fact, it is the main reason the company is now considered to be an instantly recognisable global brand which is no mean feat for a single model. Who knows, the Conti might do for Bentley what the 911 has done for Porsche over the decades.

In these times, it is the marketing man who sits at the top table with the company bosses and they look to him to mix his magic potions to eke out every drop of dream-inspiring imagery to help maintain market share of their brand and individual models. The Continental is a good example.

Think of a jolly jaunt down to Monaco in the blink of an eye, wafting along in a near-silent W12 to arrive refreshed at the Casino in time for a game or two of Black Jack.

How about a raucous blast in the Scottish Glens with a glorious V8 under the bonnet while the sports suspension lets you attack corners like Lewis Hamilton?

Fancy a cruise along the Pacific Highway from LA to San Diego? You can just picture yourself in a Continental GTC with the roof down soaking up the sun and the miles listening to Pink Floyd on the Naim audio system.

Get the point? Along with breaking ice speed records it seems there is a Continental for every occasion and for almost every year of production Bentley has tinkered with the ingredients to keep the model fresh in the public’s eye.

Most Continentals you will find on the road today will be the staple W12 or V8 Coupe but every now and then a ‘special edition’ will appear on our radar and this time it is a 2010 GT Speed W12.

The ‘Speed’ part of the moniker means that (for the 2010 year model) you could expect a not insignificant 602hp instead of the ‘standard’ car’s 552hp whilst sitting on slightly lowered suspension. In other words, it will give you an almighty shove in the back when you want it and is a genuine 200+ mph GT.

Finished in Moonbeam Silver with Beluga hide interior we have been asked to find a buyer for a particularly nice example of a GT Speed which was registered in May 2010 and has completed only 14000 miles since new. A recent service complements the already comprehensive history for the car and the MOT expires in May 2017.

1995 was an important year for BMW. It was the year that they launched their first mass-produced sports car and because of a convenient product-placement deal with the production team of Goldeneye they even managed to get James Bond to poodle around in one.

And poodle he did too because the Z3 was underwhelming. The new BMW ‘sports car’ was powered by a very humble 1.8 litre, four cylinder engine that produced a lowly 114 horsepower. You could buy a lawn mower with more pulling power. The car got slated by the press and Joe Public stifled a yawn. BMW die-hards didn’t think it was a BMW and to cap it all the Z3 was made in the US of A and not the Father Land.

The Z3’s design was also a tad contentious at the time. It seemed that the market wasn’t quite ready for such an avant garde styling exercise from conservative BMW but today the quirky shape seems to have been its main virtue and saving grace. It has aged well and might still encourage a second glance in a car park today.

The phallic length of the bonnet and the stubby rear-end was complimented by swoopy wheel arches, side-vents that imitated the gills of a shark and a comfy, tight cockpit that felt a nice place to be. The car still needed a decent engine though and quite frankly it wasn’t until the company installed a straight-six engine in 1999 that the car became an interesting driver’s car with a proper sporty exhaust note too. Especially when BMW decided to lift the 3.2 litre, 320 hp straight-six from the E36 M3 into the sporty-looking Z3 which could now sprint to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds and on to a maximum speed of 155 mph. Enter the Z3M Roadster. That’s more like it.

Apart from the engine transplant a few cosmetic tweaks added a wider rear track, extra vents, exclusive alloy wheels and a delicious quad exhaust system. The interior had a mild-makeover too and bits of chrome were stuck on the dials plus a host of ‘M’ upgrades to differentiate the Z3M from the standard car.

The car was offered in some pretty wild colours too such as Laguna Seca Blue, Phoenix Yellow and our favourite, Estoril Blue.

So where does the car fit in with the ‘Modern Classic’ movement of 2016? Well E36 and E46 M3’s appear to have turned the corner and low-mileage examples are fetching up to £20k in decent condition. The ‘bread-van’ ZM Coupe is heading towards £40k which is remarkable because the odd hunchback-design is not easy on the eye.

The Z3M Roadster has been cheap for far too long but finding a low-mileage example right now is a tough task. These cars are pretty much bullet-proof and therefore owners tended to use them, a lot. The downside of having a great driver’s car is that you want to drive it as much as possible and therefore rack up the miles.

A budget of £10k was entirely feasible a couple of years ago but these days a low-mileage car will be just south of £20k. The Z3M Roadster has come of age and is now recognised as a truly great sports car from BMW. Its collectable status in the future is guaranteed and prices will only go one way from now on.

So how about a 1999 example with only 62,000 miles on the clock finished in Estoril Blue with two-tone blue leather interior? We have been asked to find a new owner for a particularly well cared-for example with excellent service history (BMW and specialist) and unusually the car has had only four owners from new.

If you were building a super-fast sports car what name would you give your newest creation? It must be one of the biggest challenges facing a car-producer.

Get it wrong and your new baby will be an also-ran, side-lined in favour of those with far more glamorous and therefore appealing monikers.

Lamborghini has the magic touch. Think of Countach, Diablo, Aventador, Sesto Elemento. It doesn’t matter what they mean they just sound epic.

But how many manufacturers come up with a name that perfectly describes the car itself? The ‘Mini’ was a no-brainer and is probably the best automotive example of ‘it does what it says on the tin’.

How about ‘Rocket’ then? You would need rather large testicles to stick that label on anything other than something that actually resembles a rocket and indeed goes like one. Enter the Light Car Company.

Formed by racing driver Chris Craft and a certain Gordon Murray of McLaren F1 fame and a lot of other stuff too, the Light Car Company presented the Rocket to the world in 1991.

So what makes a Rocket a rocket?

Well, the tiny Yamaha straight-four bike engine could scream its head off right up to 10,500 rpm in order to propel the missile-shaped object to 60 mph in around 4 seconds and onwards to 140 mph. So what? you say – by today’s standards that is pretty good but not earth-moving. But that was back in 1991, nearly a quarter of a century ago.

Gordon Murray set out to design the automotive equivalent of the most efficient interpretation of form and function for the road. It would be the closest thing anybody could get to driving a Formula One car without the necessary backing of Agip or Marlboro.

Only 47 of these extraordinary cars have been built to-date and the Rocket must surely go down in the history books as the car that presented a living demonstration of brilliant driving dynamics and the physics behind it all. In other words, if you want to have a go at making the perfect car use a Rocket as your template.

So rare are these cars it is not very often that one will come up for sale. However, we are fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to find a new owner for build number 18 of the 47 that comes with a rather interesting history.

We’ll let the current owner, Charles Craft, take over at this point……

“I briefly worked for my uncle, Chris Craft, and the Light Car Company in 1991 prior to the launch of the original car and even then, aged 19, I knew I had to have one.

In 2006 I was lucky enough to purchase RO18 from Chris, but as it turned out I’ve actually known the car far longer. The first time I dove it was in 1995. Back then it was the first race spec car built and I drove it at a Rocket Reunion in Surrey.

Soon after it was sold to Valentine Lindsay, repainted blue and white and road registered. The car also featured in the Rocket Euro Series brochure and was the launch car for the still-born race series. Chris purchased the car back again in 2006.

Chassis RO18 has a unique dash which Gordon designed for the race cars, it also has added roll over protection to the front of the car over the standard road going Rockets, and the body also features a small recess on the nearside for the battery isolator switch and fire extinguisher pull, which I think again are unique.

The engine in RO18 has an increased capacity 1049cc engine, with uprated internals featuring Carrillo rods and a 6 speed closer ratio gearbox fitted in 2014. This is a rare but worthwhile upgrade over the standard 5 speed unit. The bespoke chain-driven rear transaxle incorporates both high, low ratio, reverse and a limited slip differential – low ratio is used most of its time, high ratio used more when cruising.

Like so many things with this game-changing little car the engine is another marvel, previously the preserve of only racing cars and superbike riders. The Yamaha 1049cc 4 cylinder redlines at 12,000 and produces approx. 145bhp, propelling 380 kilos means approximately 400 hp per tonne. The engine will happily potter around at low revs but with good mid-range power making rapid progress from 5-7,000 but after then it really comes alive and to my mind gives this little car so much of its character. To say it’s manic is a bit of understatement, the noise is epic. As with a motorbike, the sequential gearbox is fast and each cog really only drops about 1,500 revs straight back into the power band and this is when the car really flies. There is little torque but because it’s so light it doesn’t need it.

Brembo brakes are from an early 90’s F3 car and ensure that this car will still out brake just about anything on the road and are completely free from fade. Bilstein dampers and new bushes back in 2008 ensure handling is as expected from one of the greatest chassis designers ever, and Avon CR28 tarmac spec rally tyres have proven to be the best tyre suited to the car. Grip is huge and more than you could really ever want for the road. The ride is comfortable but firm, never jarring as the lack of anti-roll bars really allows the suspension to do its job. Steering is quick and direct, which is what you want when pushing on, it will wander a little at higher speeds if you let it, but a firm hand keeps it in check. You can even take a passenger in tandem if they are up for the ride! Point to point, on smaller twisty roads Jay Leno has been quoted as saying he thinks his Rocket is quicker than his F1.

Apart from the all-consuming driving experience, one of the greatest things about the Rocket is the effect it has on other road users and passers-by, it really makes people smile. Lots of people ask if it’s road legal and it doesn’t invite the envious looks some ‘in your face’ supercars can create. I think it’s because you are effectively driving a road-biased racing car and that’s part of the thrill of driving it, as it almost feels like you shouldn’t be doing it. Gordon Murray lets young designers drive his Rocket to really understand the benefit of minimal mass in a vehicle.

Without wishing to sound smug, owning and driving this car is a little bit like knowing a secret that you want to share with other car enthusiasts, the purity and integrity of its design is unlikely to be repeated, its minimalism and perfect form almost impossible to replicate with current day legislation. Sure not everyone will get it, but that almost adds to its appeal. The fact that a number of McLaren F1 owners also have a Rocket is all you need to know. A landmark car ahead of its time if ever there was.”

The following is a summary timeline of car No. 18:-

Built by the Light Car Company in 1994 painted yellow with yellow chassis, the first race spec car.

Chassis number 18 out of a run of 47 cars.

Original matching numbers for engine and chassis.

Car featured in Rocket Euro Series brochure.

Converted to road legal in 1995 painted blue with white chassis.

Chris Craft buys car back in early 2006.

Bought by Charles Craft from Chris Craft after an overhaul and refresh of all mechanicals by Luke Craft and body work by Andrew Craft!

Road trips to Le Mans, Nurburgring and Spa from 2008 to present day, the car has done 3 track days in 9 years.

Used regularly and serviced, including oil change, plugs other consumables and by Charles Craft with assistance from Chris and Luke.

Above all, this is a well-known car which has been maintained and cared for car and of course, very much enjoyed.

Maybe the best way to summarise this car is the following quote from Car Magazine in May 1992 – “Unless you’ve driven a single-seater racing car, and a fast one at that, nothing can prepare you for the thrill of driving a Rocket.”

Oh yes, there is also a book coming out soon about LCC Rocket called ‘Two Men’s Singular Vision’. RO18 will have copy number 18 signed by both Chris Craft and Gordon Murray to go with the car and new owner.

For further details about this remarkable car with amazing provenance give The Car Spy a call on 01892 506970 or email sales@thecarspy.net.